Question

locks on tuesday, march 31, 2026 at 1:46 pm
your response must answer all parts of the constructed response question and must be at least 3 sentences long.

• which influence that we studied do you believe has had the greatest influence on the laws of the united states?
• explain why you chose that influence, including at least 2 examples with details of how that influence is seen in our laws.

Explanation:

English common law is the most impactful influence on U.S. laws, as the U.S. legal system evolved directly from the British colonial legal framework, which relied heavily on this tradition. First, the principle of stare decisis, or binding precedent, is a core feature of English common law that is fully embedded in U.S. courts: when a judge makes a ruling on a legal issue, that decision becomes a precedent that lower courts in the same jurisdiction must follow in similar future cases. For example, the 1803 Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review, and this precedent has been binding for all U.S. courts ever since, shaping how courts evaluate the constitutionality of laws. Second, the structure of U.S. property law draws heavily from English common law concepts, such as the distinction between real property (land and permanent structures) and personal property (movable items). This classification is still used in every U.S. state, and rules like adverse possession—where a person can gain legal ownership of land by occupying it openly and continuously for a set period—originated directly from English common law and remain in effect in most U.S. jurisdictions. Beyond these examples, many basic legal terms and procedures, like the use of juries in criminal and civil trials, were adopted from English common law and form the foundation of how the U.S. legal system operates day-to-day.

Answer:

The greatest influence on the laws of the United States is English common law.

1. A core example is the principle of stare decisis (binding precedent): established in English common law, this rule requires lower courts to follow rulings from higher courts in similar cases. The 1803 case Marbury v. Madison set a precedent for judicial review (the power of courts to strike down unconstitutional laws), and this precedent is still binding on all U.S. federal and state courts, shaping every aspect of constitutional law.
2. U.S. property law also directly derives from English common law, including the distinction between real property (land and fixed structures) and personal property (movable items). The concept of adverse possession—where a person can gain legal ownership of land by occupying it publicly, continuously, and without the owner's permission for a statutory period (typically 5-20 years depending on the state)—is a direct adoption from English common law and remains a key part of property rules across all U.S. states.